Jaw popping and painafter it pops and almost locks up

Stop chewing: You need to rest your jaw. Soft diet, antiinflammatories, ice, dental evaluation. No gum ever again. There is a special mouth guard called an nti device that your dentist can make that is especially helpful.

TMJ: The jaw popping is your jaw going back into its correct position. You will notice a clunk on closing which is the jaw dislocating. You need to get a diagnosis and conservative splint therapy. I prefer anterior repositioning splints which help the disc stay in place and the joints to heal for a period of time. You will need to see someone that routinely treats tmj.

Disk displaced: The disk is out of position. See a TMJ expert for advice and treatment.